Feb 15, 2012

Little plans sometimes are all you need for a big hit. I've always liked that recession marketing slogan of Harley Davidson's. How does it go? "Screw it, lets ride"

Is it wrong to put a photo from the end of your trip in the beginning of a blog?

Sometimes the less epic drives are the best ones.The other day, I and a bunch guys connected though various Porsche centered social media decided to meet up at the monthly Griots Garage “Caffeine and Gasoline”(check the link if you like coffee and cars).We then hit the road for a couple hours of car guy fun. Big thanks to Michael Swale for having a small plan that turned out big.

Which one of these cars have you seen in the Griots Catalog? It's a trick question.

Our particular group consisted of guys who all owned Porsche 993 designation Carreras.Meaning they were (in the US anyway) manufactured between 1995-1998.We were rounded up for this occasion by a common contact online, Mike.Mike graciously offered to take us on a mini tour out to Eatonville after the Griots event. Not far, but being near Mt. Rainier a ride to Eatonville proved twisty enough for a lazy Saturday morning. Mike also provided many of these photos, although he may not yet know it.We were rounded up though various social media: Rennslist’s 993 forum, Facebooks 993 Rennlisters group, and Yahoo’s group PNW993s .

Can you spot the Lamborghini in this photos? It's no wonder silver is the most popular color for a 911.

Griots was literally covered with sports cars that morning, so we spent some time touring the parking lot and eating free donuts for a while, then gathered to depart on a run. Nine of us actually showed up ready to drive that morning. This number turned out just about right.Any more and it gets tough to keep everyone together on the road.Once your number gets into double digits it usually requires a “sweeper” and some radio contact for maximum continuity.So 9 was a great number for an informal drive.

Trust me, 9 Carreras going past you is dramatic enough, even if the Ford GT above didn't come with us. You don’t need a group of 20 cars to have a good time, either.Perhaps the opposite, a smaller group is easier to keep together and hence you’ve got less to think about other than your driving.This is why larger groups must break up into smaller portions. When was the last time you had 30 cars all really running together? They usually break up into smaller groups on purpose or after a few traffic lights.Now you’ve got to have radio contact, a sweeper and so the logistical cluster fu**ing begins.

I kind like the Cobras next to us, they were my first love.
I havent' missed my cobra much this past year, since it's never warm.

I'm the one with the 993 Carrera

I’m not the fastest driver, but would never hold anybody up. To keep myself motivated to stay on the gas I maneuvered into a dead center position in the group. That way I wouldn't be the guy having to run red lights all the time. Being in any middle position amongst cool cars is pretty damn cool.Looking ahead you see a bunch of Porsche’s,look in the back and see the same.All nearly identical, at least to the lay person.To each of us, the cars were all quite different.Different enough to discuss them for an hour over breakfast.

Griots collection inside rotates to keep us coming back. I could make do with this Speedster, even if it is water cooled.

We hit Eatonville and sat down for a little coffee and food. Conversation flowed on the subjects of speed, upgrades, and maintenance.My three favorite subjects, what a coincidence. The collective experience was significant, you could learn a lot hanging with these folks, and save some time and money if you consulted such a group before beginning projects on these cars. I guess that's why we're all on these various social media forums in the first place. But make no mistake, drinking beer and conversing online in your pajamas isn't being a car guy. Drive you idiots!

Oh yeah, I forgot. The views were nice too. Whatever, that's for passengers.

Sometimes we hold out for epic tours and organized events for way too long.They don’t come along often enough and there is no need to suffer alone with your Panorama magazine.It doesn’t take much to get the glow of car guy satisfaction. Just keep your ear to the ground, get off your ass and do something when even little opportunities come along.

No blog is complete without some blatant self-promotion. My 1998 Carrera S, aka 993 C2S 77K miles and climbing. 100% Stock except for my Coco Mats and Venture Shield. I bought whatever color I could find, but the white color is growing on me.